I am 46 years old, from a family comprising four sisters. When I was eight years old,
I lost my parents, but with my own effort, I passed the High School Leaving Certificate
(HSLC) Examination. I earn a living by cultivating pineapples, bananas and chillies. My
farming operations are on a large-scale and hence I am able to earn a substantial amount
of money. I am also a weaver and am skilled in weaving Muga and Pat, both traditional
silks of Assam. I augment my earnings from the sale of my woven products.It was only after I became involved in campaigning for a political party, that people began
to know me. When the elections were announced, they asked me contest. My life changed
completely after winning the Panchayat elections, I became busier, and suddenly, I was
no longer thinking just about my family’s welfare but of the entire Panchayat.I learnt about the rights of women representatives, their roles, and responsibilities after
attending the Women’s Leadership Workshop conducted by The Hunger Project-
NEST. I updated myself with information about government Schemes and the Assam
Panchayat Act. I feel there is a strong need for devolution in all three areas of: funds,
functions, and functionaries in Assam.I always ensure that women attend and participate in the gram Sabha and insist that the
decisions taken in the gram Sabhas not be changed at any cost, as I believe the people are
the ultimate decision makers and the gram Sabha represents their real need.I have facilitated the construction of three school buildings, three wells, four roads,
culverts, and 15 IAY houses. A Kutir Jyoti connection, widow pensions, and old age
pensions have also been distributed under my guidance. I also helped in conducting
surveys for the identification of BPL families, so that preference is given to them under
the various government Schemes.I am an active member of the Mahila Committee and I have tried to encourage BPL
families to start SHgs of their own, so that they can be economically independent. I have
managed to training 90 women in the craft of Muga and Pat weaving, through a skill-
building program being aired on Doordarshan. I have also prepared a proposal to train
women in Muga and Pat weaving and have submitted this proposal to the Panchayat. I
hope they sanction it soon.Moni Prabha Neog
Ward Member
Panchayat: Borkali
Block: Narayanpur
District: Lakhimpur